Customer Reviews

Tanita BF-682 Family Model w/Athlete Mode Bathroom Scale

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This scale has been wonderful. So many scales when you get off and then immediately reweigh you get a different result. This scale is repeatable! The Body Fat results are very helpful but make sure you weigh at consistent times as I have seen my BF % vary up to 5% throughout the course of the day which I entirely believe as I drink a ton of water!

The display is easy to read and the results are displayed for several seconds (10-15 or so) after you step off. The scale is small and unobtrusive. The manual even includes some helpful information on body fat percentages.

This was an excellent buy even if it is more expensive than a standard scale. Oh, and the batteries are included!

This is a well-made product, and well worth the money. I've had one other BF scale (from Sharper Image) that was wildly inaccurate...their BF percentage measured to 1% and would still fluctuate from one moment to the next. This scale takes it to 0.1% and the readings are very stable.

Currently it's top of the line in their 4-user (family) series. There's another model on the Tanita website (BF559) that has the same features and costs twice as much. The difference? I asked...it's older (and uglier)...it seems they used more expensive parts, so they still have to charge more for it. That model is now discontinued. Paying more doesn't ALWAYS mean you get the latest and greatest.

This scale is very solidly built, and the memory function is great for those who only want a simple comparison with the previous reading (versus those that are meticulous about writing everything down in a journal).

One thing you'll probably want to do as soon as you pick one of these up is to weigh yourself, drink a glass of water and weigh yourself immediately afterwards. It'll help you understand how different levels of hydration will affect your readings...which - as another reviewer mentioned - is good to know (especially if you're more concerned about either your weight or fat percentage, but not both - you'll know what I mean). It's something you'd never see using an ordinary scale (or a very bad body fat monitor)...and this one, in particular, is extraordinary.

For years I weighed myself with a Health-O-Meter scale and "guessed" at my weight. I would pop on the scale, get off and allow it to reset, pop back on and find my weight would vary usually by 1-3 pounds. But once by 20 pounds!

After much frustration I decided to invest in the Tanita BF682. The BF682 is a sturdy attractive metal and plastic scale with some great features. After I purchased it I put it on a level surface (rugs are a no-no) and weighed myself about 10 times in a row not giving the scale a chance to reset. To my pleasure I weighed the exact same each time right down to .2 of a pound!

The scale has several buttons in the front that you tap with your foot to program in up to four family members height, weight, activity level and age. When you step on the scale you will get a read out with your weight and body fat. In order to ensure an accurate bodyfat measurement, you should weigh at the same time each afternoon (not first thing in the morning as you are not hydrated) in your bare feet. There is also a "guest" button so a guest can get a bodyfat and weight reading and a weigh only button that will give weight only.

Tanita works by sending a small electrical current through your body to read your bodyfat. You do not experience any discomfort at all, but those with a pacemaker should not use it as the electrical current may interfere with the operation of the pacemaker. After it has read your body fat the scale will give you the number and also a small icon will tell you if you are underfat, healthy, overfat or obese.

One super nice thing about this scale is the DCI or daily caloric intake. That's right! Along with your bodyfat and weight, this scale is so smart it will also tell you how many calories you are consuming to weigh what you do. If you want to beef up - eat more calories than the number shown and if you want to skinny down - eat less. Very motivational.

The scale operates on 4 double A batteries that are included as are easy to follow directions.

If you are looking for a bodyfat, daily caloric intake and weight scale this is an excellent scale. In April 2005, however, Tanita is set to release a new set of scales called Innerscan. These will vary in features but may monitor body functions such as water %, bone mass, muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, metabolic age and daily calorie intake along with weight and body fat depending on the model you choose. Starting price will only be about $10 more so you many want to check into those models also.

I checked a lot of scales at stores before I bought this one from Amazon and it was by far the most accurate and quality scale for the money. I've had it about a month now and use it every day at about the same time to get accurate body fat measurement. It's easy to program in the information for each user. Overall very satisfied and I'm very picky!

My wife got this scale for me for Father's Day. I was interested in knowing my body fat percentage so that I could track my progress over time. What I hadn't counted on is that this regular feedback is a great motivator for meeting your personal goals. Since the scale is accurate to 0.2lb and 0.1% body fat, you can see the impact of small changes to your eating or workout habits. As a result, I have made faster progress in achieving my goals than I had thought was possible.

This was a wonderful investment.

I've come back to revise my review, because I'm not so confident in it's accuracy. I've had a couple ups and downs in my workout and eating routine, and the scale has given me suspicious feedback.

The most glaring example is recently I came back from a knee injury and started running again. At the same time, I started eating much better, fruits and veggies and so on. In a couple months, I dropped 12 pounds, according to the scale. Also, according to the scale, my body fat % stayed constant. I find that pretty hard to believe. I have stopped using it for the body fat measuremtnt and instead use it as a really expensive digital scale. I have lost enough confidence that I now would rate it 2-3 stars.

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Originally written 5/05

I have been using this scale for 3 months to track my weight/fat level as I try to drop a little fat and gain some muscle by working out often. I have been using the scale in the morning and everning almost every day to smooth out any irregularities in measurements, and I've learned a lot about the scale in the process. According to the scale, in the last 3 months, I've gained 2 lbs of fat and 11 lbs of lean mass (hopefully I can use all that new muscle to burn that fat back off!).

First, it seems to be very consistent. I have watched my weight gradually increase and if I eat a meal shortly before weighing myself, I weigh unusually high, and if I do extra cardio work and don't eat as much in a day, that evening my fat % will be lower than usual.

In addition to those kinds of effects, I weigh an average of 1.5 pounds more in the evening and my fat level is 2.6% higher in the morning. All these facts point out that consistency in measurements is CRITICAL if you want your results to mean anything. If you want to weigh yourself once a week, you must be very careful that the conditions are the same.

I highly recommend weighing yourself regularly and averaging values. That's what I'm doing and I find my results much more useful than occasional weighing. For example, last week my lowest weight in the evening was 182.6 and the highest was 187. Similar things happen with fat percentages. Last week I varied between 11.2% and 14.9% in the evenings. Those numbers make the scale sound inconsistent, but I have been graphing weekly averages, and the trends have been very consistent. My weight has been up 1.5-2.5 lbs every week, and fat% is changing no more than 0.5% from one week to the next and it's staying in a narrow range (13-14).

If I had to do it again, I wouldn't change a thing. I highly recommend these scales. It would be great if once a week or once a month testing on expensive equipment was adequate, but unless you are making huge changes, day to day fluctuations will make results hard to interpret. Using a scale like this will help to give you meaningful, week to week results. It's been a big help in keeping me motivated.

This unit was a great purchase. It works well, is accurate for my basic excercise and diet needs, and is VERY simple to operate. Simple enough to just use toes.

Do it.

The scale is exactly as advertised. It is consistent and easy to use for all members of our family. We now monitor weight and fat content everyday and can see trends downward and deviations caused by parties and other errant eating.

My brother was pleasantly surprised when he got the gift and was impressed with the settings as well as the other information that it provides. He will use it for his clients. I would recommend to health professionals and others interested in more than just the weight on the scale. Weight is only one component of total health. This scale gives you a better picture. Thanks.

This is a pretty good scale, but I'd only use the body fat percentage if you were measuring on a day-by-day basis.